For the Sake of Jelly Buns
by Atlantean Pineapple
Summary: He went out for the sake of jelly buns, but he would return with a mystery. How could Shigure have known that helping a young woman find her dog would lead to such curiosity? How many people will he turn to before he is satisfied? It should be simple...
1. Accomplishment

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket._

_**Accomplishment**_

Shigure let out a sad sigh. "Alas, both my beloved Tohru and the wonderful Ritsu have forsaken me. What shall I do with myself? However will I survive?" he exclaimed to the empty kitchen. He looked around dejectedly before sighing once more.

"Ah, well," he said, perking up. "When all else fails, take matters into your own hands!"

His dilemma, of course, was an unnatural desire for jelly buns that had forced itself upon him early in the day. As Tohru and the others were off at school, he couldn't talk anyone at his immediate location into running out and getting him some. He had thought about calling Hatori and complaining of leg cramps to get the doctor to make the trip, but thought better of it at the last moment, remembering that he was already upset with him and had many instruments of torture at his disposal.

Naturally, he next thought of Ayame, wondering if it would be enough to ask him to prove his love by bringing a gift of jelly buns. Though he decided that it would probably work, he chose not to go for that option, either. "Wouldn't want to disturb his noble work, after all."

So that brought it down to sending for Ritsu or going himself.

"As much as I enjoy the chance to use the magic touch... I just don't want to put up with that today. It has the potential to ruin the jelly bun mood."

And so, he resigned himself to making the journey on his own.

-o-O-o-

Despite his initial disappointment at being forced to take the initiative himself, Shigure found that a nice walk in the crisp air was just what he needed. _Nature really is a beautiful thing. _He smiled contently as he began passing more and more people. Humans were incredible creatures as well, and it hurt him deeply to have to keep his distance from them. But he wouldn't think of that now. He would just think of jelly buns.

-o-O-o-

_Ah, this must be the place. _So it was. Shigure pointed and picked out what he wanted, smiling openly the whole time. Leaving with satisfaction, he walked to a small park and sat on a bench, preparing to eat a few of his snacks before he had to get back to work on that manuscript.

Just as he was about to take a bite out of the first jelly bun, he felt the bench shift only slightly. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see a woman sitting on the opposite end, her back to him, seemingly tying her shoe. He let out a breath when she got up and walked away.

The jelly buns were delicious. He listened to various conversations around him, taking in the atmosphere.

"_What did you think I meant, I just told you."_

_ "Really? I thought-"_

_ "Do you like it here?"_

_ "My, it is a very nice day today."_

_ "That's what I said!"_

_ "Hey, how are you? I haven't seen you in forever!_

_ "Excuse me."_

Shigure let out a happy sigh and took another bite of his second jelly bun.

"Excuse me?"

He blinked and looked around. Who was ignoring such a lovely voice?

"Excuse me."

Shigure jumped from the force and proximity of the voice. He turned to the previously empty spot next to him to find a new occupant. A young woman, probably around his age, sat there looking at him with a mix of annoyance and panic. He couldn't deny the loveliness of her face matched the loveliness of her voice. She looked like a kind of elf or forest fairy, her dark brown hair waving down her back and her earthy green eyes staring up at him.

"I'm sorry. I was in a bit too deep with this jelly bun and it didn't want to let me go." He smiled warmly. "Is there some way I can help you?"

The woman looked down at the wood between them for a moment, seeming on the verge of tears. She tucked a strand of her wavy hair behind an ear and then thrust a photo out before her, looking at him pleadingly.

"Have you seen this dog?"

Shigure looked at her in surprise, but took the picture and began to study it, his face shifting in his concentration. "No, I can't say that I have. Is he yours?"

But she was already tugging the photo from his finggers and saying, "Thank you for your time."

"Wait!" he called, grabbing his bag and jogging the few feet she had moved.

"I'm sorry, but I really have to..." she started.

He cut her off. "I'll help you look."

Now her eyes really did fill with tears. "No, really, you don't have to. I'll just ask someone else if they've seen him."

Shigure smiled and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder only to find that she had stepped out of his reach and was now walking toward another park-dweller. Catching up to her again, he said, "My extremely strong sense of chivalry would be very disappointed if I didn't help out a fair maiden such as yourself. Besides, two eyes are better than one, as they say."

She stopped and spun to face him, the first hint of a smile on her face, her elven eyes sparkling with both water and mischief. "Last time I counted, I already had two eyes. Are you saying I need four?"

Shigure grinned. "It couldn't hurt. Now then, where was the last time you saw..."

"Zorro."

"Zorro? Right, where was the last time you saw Zorro?"

"My house. He got out. He was..." She looked slightly uncomfortable. "...chasing someone."

Shigure blinked. "Chasing who?" Perhaps he had chosen to help the wrong person... Then again, he had heard that it was good luck to help a wood nymph... if you survived.

The woman fidgetted. "The plumber."

"Why was he-"

"I don't have time for this! You can come along, but I can't stand here and answer any more of your questions."

"Sorry," he said, walking after her, the open smile back on his face. Anyone who got this worried about a dog couldn't be all bad. "May I ask one more while we're walking, though?"

"Sure," she said with a sigh.

"What is your name?"

She paused a moment, as if deciding if she should tell him or not. With a hint of a shrug, she said, "Call me Tal."

"Pleasure to meet you, Tal." He thought over his words. "I only wish it could've been under more pleasant circumstances. I'm Shigure, by the way."

Tal didn't stop moving as she nodded her head in acknowledgement. "No offense, Shigure, but if it weren't for the unpleasant circumstances, we wouldn't have met at all. And at the moment, I'd rather have my dog." She mumbled the words soft enough that most people wouldn't be able to hear, but Shigure managed to get the hint.

He chuckled softly. It wasn't the first time someone had said something like that, and out of all those times, this was probably the least insulting. This girl was in a frenzied state due to her immense worry for her loyal companion's safety! She simply didn't know what she was saying. "Ehm, Tal... Where exactly are we going?"

"Someone said she talked to a man who heard some large animal in the trees over there, but didn't see anything. I figured I would ask a few more people before I risked it. You never know. It could be a bear."

Shigure laughed. "A bear? Surely your dog wouldn't be mistaken for a bear." He swallowed uncertainly when she didn't look amused.

"Not if they had actually seen him. But he's big enough to sound like one."

"Um... Exactly what kind of dog is Zorro?" The picture had been a black dog with the look of a husky, but there had been nothing in to suggest it's size.

"He's a mutt. No one's quite sure what he is, but there's speculation of at least a quarter St. Bernard blood." She sighed and glanced at Shigure. "So it's not like there are many animals out there that could take him, but that doesn't mean a person might not stumble across him and call animal control or he might get hit by a car trying to get back home. He's smart, but us humans... we can do some awful things."

The smile had fallen from Shigure's face while she spoke, and now he closed his eyes. _So passionate about her furry friend... The world needs more people like her! _He may have been just a bit biased, though. His goofy smile was replaced with an understanding one. But he couldn't help but crack a joke. "I'm guessing you're a dog person."

She smiled and gave him a look that said "haha you're soooo witty." Standing on the edge of the forest, she gave him a look. "Last chance to turn back." The mischievous look she was aiming at him now brought back the stories he read on fairies luring their pray to their doom back full force.

Grinning, he said, "And leave you to the beasts of the forest? I simply couldn't."

She turned and headed into the trees. "Have it your way." She looked over her shoulder. "You can be the bait."

Swallowing any concerns Shigure may or may not have had, he followed her into the dim light. He wasn't feeling the slightest bit of dread. He wasn't even worried. And he certainly didn't jump out of his skin when Tal suddenly called, "Zorro!" and let out a peircing whistle to go with it.

"Do you really think that's going to help?" Shigure asked. "And what if it's not him?"

"He knows my voice, and anything else that's close enough to want to eat us is close enough to hear us walking whether we talk or not. Zorro!"

Shrugging, he joined her. "Zorro!" He stopped. He heard something far off. A glance at Tal let him know that he was the only human here who could hear it, and the only human in the world who could understand it.

When he brought his attention back the here and now, Tal was standing in front of him. "Did you see something?"

"No, but I might have heard something... Stay quiet for a moment." He frowned in concentration and closed his eyes. "Call him once more."

"Zorro!"

"There! Come, this way!" He pointed her in the right direction and walked beside her. At least, he walked beside her until he was suddenly lying flat on his back, two enormous paws on his shoulders and the biggest dog he had ever seen glaring down at him. He had been tackled!

"Zorro!"

Luckily for Shigure, the dog was quickly tackled by Tal, forcing it off of him and allowing him to breathe freely once more. Sitting up with plans to thank her, he quickly realized that she hadn't meant to save him from the beast- she had wanted to give the beast a bear hug!

"Oh, Zor, I'm so glad you're alright." She let the dog sit up before wrapping her arms around it's neck. The massive dog showed it's teeth to Shigure, letting out a low, rumbling growl.

"Hey... there... Zorro," he said slowly, reaching out a hand only to draw it back when the growl grew louder.

"Come on, don't be like that. Shigure helped me find you." She spoke to the dog as if he were human. Shigure couldn't help but fall in love, just a little bit.

"Well, I'm sure its been a long day for both of you. Maybe we should get out of this forest."

"Yah, Zorro and I should probably head home. I just wonder what happened to the plumber..." She quickly inspected Zorro's teeth.

Shigure's eyes widened and a short gasp escaped him. "You don't think... He wouldn't..."

Tal burst into laughter and Zorro seemed to smile and roll his eyes at the oddity of humans. "I'm only joking, Shigure. The plumber is fine."

"Oh." Shigure laughed uneasily. "I knew that." And then he truly laughed. He got to his feet and held a hand out to her. "Let's get going, shall we?"

Tal got to her feet as well and looked Zorro in the eye. "Heel, Zorro. We need to go home, so no trouble now." The dog's large tain thumped the ground. Shigure was sure he heard a tree fall further in the forest at that moment.

When they once again found themselves in the park, Tal turned to face Shigure. "Thank you so much for helping me find him. And I'm really sorry if I was rude earlier. I just... I was worried. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

Shigure was about to spew out something poetic about helping lovely wood elves being its own reward when he happened to look down at his slightly worse for wear bag of jelly buns. "Well, you could meet me here tomorrow and buy me some of these," he said with a grin as he pointed at his bag.

She blinked in surprise. "Jelly buns?"

"Yep!"

She smiled and held out her hand. "It's a deal. Here's my card. Call me with a time."

Shigure took the card and shook her hand. "Count on it. It was lovely meeting you, Tal."

"Same here. But about you." With that, she turned to leave. "Come on, Zorro, let's hit the road."

The dog sat before Shigure for a moment after she left, simply staring at him. "Lucky dog," Shigure said, sticking his tongue out at it.

Zorro let out a bark that sent Shigure jumping a foot away. With what would have been a satisfied smirk on a man, the dog turned and walked away.

Narrowing his eyes, he whispered, "You won this round, but not the war." In his head, a humungous black dog laughed at him.

-o-O-o-

As he approached his home, munching on yet another jelly bun, he thought of all that had happened.

He had gone out that day for the sake of jelly buns. He had returned with a sense of accomplishment. And, of course, the jelly buns.


	2. Inspiration

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket._

_**Inspiration**_

"You know, most people would have said 'Don't worry about it' and been on their way," Tal greeted with a smile.

Shigure returned it with one of his own, more flirtatious smiles. "What can I say? I wanted to see you again, my lovely nymph."

Tal gave him a calculating look before turning toward the store and smiling to herself. "No, you're just in it for the jelly buns."

Shigure laughed softly. It was partly true.

-o-O-o-

"So what is it you do, Shigure?"

The two were sitting on the bench in the park where they had met the day before, Shigure with his fresh bag of jelly buns settled between them. The sky was clear and Tal pulled off her jacket and set it behind her, allowing more of the sun to reach her only slightly tanned skin.

Shigure swallowed a bite before he answered, a courtesy he reserved for special occasions such as this. "Isn't that a rather personal question? I mean, I've only known you for a day." His tone told her he was teasing her.

Tal raised an eyebrow and spoke carelessly. "I _did _just buy you jelly buns. I think that wins me one question."

"Hmm." Shigure seemed to think it over, when in truth, he wanted nothing more than to tell her what he did. People's reactions to his profession were always fun. It was rather remarkable, after all. "I am a writer."

"Really?" She wasn't that surprised. She could see the creative spirit in him, buried beneath his tendency toward dramatics. "What do you write?"

He took on a pleased smile. "Fine literature, with a few just-for-fun novels on the side."

"Anything I would know of?"

He gave her a wink. "I wouldn't know, now, would I? It all depends on your tastes."

A light dusting of pink settled on her cheeks, but it blew away with the wind nearly as soon as it had settled. "You're rather confident in your work," she stated.

"An artist has to be confident. Anything less and our tender hearts simply could not survive the harshness of this world. We're simply too advanced." He finished with a sigh, drawing a short chuckle from Tal.

"Advanced, indeed." She looked at her watch hesitantly before letting out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry, but I need to get going."

Shigure stopped his munching to look at her in disappointment. "Already? But I haven't even been able to ask you about yourself! I was looking forward to it!"

Tal laughed. "As nice as that sounds, I still have to get back to work."

"Ah, at Dreamscape Gallery, correct?" he asked with a knowledgable look.

"Yes, that is what my card said." Tal got to her feet and stretched, then pulled her jacket back on over her white button-up blouse.

"I've never actually been to that one. Do you mind if I come with you?" Shigure had gotten to his feet as well, the bag of the few remaining jelly buns in hand.

The elf-like woman before him studied him uncertainly for a moment. They had shared a conversation and he had helped her track down her dog, but that didn't mean she knew him. She hadn't meant to see him again. Finally, with one last look at his smiling, and undeniably attractive, face, she made up her mind. "I suppose it wouldn't be very good for business if I denied customers. But don't be surprised when I try and sell you something," she joked.

As they began their walk, Shigure restarted a conversation. "Is the artist any good?"

Tal gave him a dry smile. "I like to think so."

"You like to believe in what you're selling, then. I respect that."

"Yes, well, an artist has to be confident. We're simply too advanced to accept rejection."

Shigure stopped mid-step. "You?"

Tal did not stop. "Me."

"Well," Shigure righted himself and caught up to her quickly, his charming attitude back in place despite his surprise, "now I'm even more excited to see this gallery."

"Is there anything that doesn't excite you, Shigure?"

He looked thoughtful. "Doctors."

Tal laughed and with a shake of her head, continued on her way.

-o-O-o-

Shigure wasn't exactly sure how he ended up walking home with a bag of jelly buns that was now empty except for one in one hand, and a painting tucked under his other arm. He had a feeling it had something to do with a beautiful wood nymph artist making good on her threat to try to sell him something. Apparently, the stories were wrong. Following a fey into a forest was fine. Following one into her place of business, however, was something else entirely.

Tal had disappeared into the back immediately, leaving him in the hands of a young woman who could only be a year or two older than Tohru. When she decided to show herself again, Shigure didn't even notice. He was too busy staring into one of the paintings that hung on a wall.

"In my experience, I find that the paintings call to the person who was meant to have them."

Shigure jumped slightly from the closeness of the voice. "You don't say."

"What do you think?"

"I think it's magnificent. I can see the magic in this painting, and feel as if I could walk right into it and wander those woods forever."

"You authors sure know how to flatter a person."

Shigure gave her the first serious look she had seen on him. "Every word was true."

The light pink appeared once more, but this time the wind wasn't around to blow it away.

Yes, it was the blush that did it. And the pleasure that appeared with it.

And so Shigure entered his house with the semi-large artwork. Yuki was there and turned to greet him, but stopped short at the sight of the bundle.

"What is that?"

"Oh, just something I picked up." He unwrapped it and found a place to hang it. "Isn't it lovely?"

Yuki walked to his side to study the painting as well. The deep forest was parted by a path that split into three directions, a few rays of sunlight pushing their ways through the leaves and pushing back the gloom between the many trunks. In the corner, sitting on a lush green leaf, was a tiny fairy, it's exotic features and dress and wings of green almost going unnoticed.

"It is," Yuki agreed. "But I can't help but wonder about the sudden interest in decorating."

Shigure shrugged, a smile tugging on his lips.

"I'm sure she was beautiful." The young man turned and went back to what he was doing before Shigure had gotten home.

He could have argued, but Yuki wouldn't believe any excuse he came up with anyway.

Settling down at his desk later that evening, he let his thoughts flow from his mind to the paper. It had been a rather nice day. He had gone out for the sake of jelly buns and a second meeting. He had returned with a painting and a sudden bout of inspiration.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the story so far._


	3. Curiosity

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket._

_**Curiosity**_

Days went by filled with nothing out of the ordinary. Kyou and Yuki had managed to keep the damage to his house limited, and so Shigure was beginning to feel even more paranoid. _The calm before the storm, as they say. _They couldn't keep up their tentative truce forever.

It wasn't until he heard his stomach rumble that he snapped back into reality and looked down to realize he hadn't written a word. Sending a quick glare toward the empty paper, he dropped his pen and got to his feet. He stopped in the hall to look at the newest addition to his home. The little fairy stared back at him.

"Tohru?"

The girl looked up at him when he peeked his head into the kitchen.

"I'm going out for a while. Think you can keep the boys in check while I'm gone?"

Tohru smiled at him. "I'll try my best!"

"Thank you," he sang as he walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Yuki asked when he opened the door to see Shigure headed right toward him.

"Are those leeks?" the black-haired man asked in shock.

Yuki looked down at the plants in his hand, preparing to tell Shigure that yas, they were in fact leeks, and to stop being such an idiot, but by the time he looked back up, Shigure was out the door.

"Behave for Tohru, Yuki, and my house better be in one peice when I get back."

Yuki shook his head and, with a heavy sigh, took the leeks into the kitchen.

-o-O-o-

As he walked, Shigure tried to decide what to do. Of course, it should have something to do with food- that was the reason he had left, after all. He could have eaten with the others, as it had seemed Tohru had been cooking, but the fresh air and the call of the unknown was too much to resist. He very rarely planned his outings. It was much more entertaining to let his feet wander and see where they stopped. _Yes, that's what I'll do._

Perhaps they would lead him to Aya's shop today, to see if he had time to go for lunch. Or maybe they would lead him to a delicious smell that would beckon him in by himself. It was a possibility that they wouldn't lead him to food at all.

Despite his open mind on the subject, Shigure was surprised by where he ended up.

_Jelly buns? _He wasn't even in the jelly bun mood. Looking at his feet, he spoke softly, unfazed by the strange looks he recieved. "Why have you brought me here? Has my stomach done you wrong?"

Unsurprisingly, his toes only wiggled slightly in response.

Shigure knew exactly why his feet had led him here. The reason was a wood nymph that he only knew as Tal. But there were boundaries, Shigure knew, and he knew he had already pushed the lines of his almost nonexistant relationship with the woman as far as was socially acceptable under the circumstances of their meeting. Then again...

Shigure never had been one to follow social guidelines. _No relationship comes from no relationship, after all. _And he knew someone who cared even less for social codes than he.

-o-O-o-

The little bell jingled, alerting Tal to someone's entrance.

"Oh, how charming!" the person exclaimed.

"I'll be with you in a moment," she said around the paintbrush that was perched between her teeth. Her hair was pulled up in a loose bun and there was a small smudge of paint on her face. In contrast, there was a small smudge of shirt that wasn't streaked with brightly colored paint. Her green eyes were flicking between her canvas and a young girl who was posing sweetly in a seat.

The artist paused a moment to sniff the air, and without looking away from her project, said, "Hey, ye who entered here, no food allowed. Art and crumbs don't go well together, you know?" She chuckled softly as she made a face at the little girl. The child giggled, but quickly got back into her pose.

Shigure watched the interaction, walking up behind her and leaning over her shoulder to study the portrait. "Well, how can I put you back in my debt if you won't let me feed you?"

Luckily, she was reloading her paintbrush when she jumped so the painting was unaffected. "Goodness, please don't do that!" She looked at the man in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Shigure backed off and laughed. "I brought you lunch. Or rather, I brought us lunch. But really I just wanted to show Aya here your work."

Tal gave the man who walked up next to Shigure an uncertain smile. He must have been the one who had spoken when they came in. "Well, this _is _a gallery. You don't have to bribe me to get in."

Ayame held his hands before him like he was boxing in a picture with his fingers. "You were quite right, Shigure, it is exquisite."

Tal felt herself blush, not because of what he said, but because he was boxing _her _in his finger-picture. "Eh... Feel free to look around. I have to finish this. I'm sure my little model is bored to tears after all the time we've been doing this."

Ayame took hold of Shigure's arm and began pulling him away. "Yes, show me around. I want to see it all before I have to go!"

To the sounds of "Oh, look over there!" and "What about that one," Tal went back to work.

-o-O-o-

Tal found Shigure standing with his hands behind his back and Ayame's arm across his shoulders. "You simply must show me the one you got for yourself!"

"Anytime, Aya," Shigure said happily.

"And while I'm there, I can see my dear brother!"

Shigure let out a soft gasp. "Are you... using me to get to him?" He turned his head away, a depressed look covering his face.

Ayame suddenly looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Shigure, but... it's the only way," he said, turning Shigure to face him again. "But I promise I still love you."

Just as quickly as the somber mood had settled, it disappeared with identical grins and a fist bump.

Tal let out a light laugh before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth to try to stop herself from doing it again when the two men turned to her.

Tal lowered her hand, confident she had composed herself enough to speak. "So where's my lunch?"

-o-O-o-

"You two must have known each other for a very long time to be that close." Tal let another soft chuckle slip out.

"Oh yes!" Ayame said. "We grew up together."

"Our third man is missing, but we were quite the popular trio back in the day," Shigure said with a happy sigh.

"Ah, I remember those days well! The joy, the excitement, the ability to help those in need!"

The three were sitting in a back room of the gallery, eating their lunch in peace since Tal had put up the "out for lunch" sign.

"Tal?"

The woman looked at Shigure curiously. "Yes?"

"Not that I don't enjoy your company completely, but are you working alone today? Where's your little assistant?"

"Oh, she wanted to take Zorro out for a walk. She never can say no to him, so they usually end up being out for a while."

"He, uh, comes to work with you?"

Ayame looked between the two, thoroughly confused. "Who's Zorro?"

"My dog," Tal said with a grin. "He comes here most of the time. He's a sweetheart, so unless there's a theif in the place, it's harmless having him around."

"Your dog?" Ayame asked with a sneaky smile. "So you're an animal person?"

"Yah. I love most of them, but you have to have a soft spot for our furry little friends, right?"

Poking Shigure teasingly in the side, Ayame said, "Oh, I know exactly what you mean."

Tal just shook her head at the oddness of the two friends. It was sweet, in it's own way, almost endearing, how close they were. "In any case, they should be back soon."

"How is the beast?" Shigure asked, poking Ayame back with a pointed look.

"He's doing great. Went right back to normal once I got him back home. I know you're probably tired of hearing it, but thanks again." Her voice got quiet. "I don't know what I would've done if we hadn't found him."

Shigure grinned and leaned forward. "No problem!"

Tal smiled back and looked at the empty plates in front of the small group. "Well, I think I've had a long enough break. And I gotta get you two out of here. It's _supposed_ to be employees only, though I suppose there must be a sweet-talking writer clause somewhere."

Shigure winked. "There always is."

"Aren't you getting familiar," she said as she picked up her trash and got to her feet. "And you don't even know my name."

"Then why don't you tell me?" Shigure said, giving her wide, puppy dog eyes.

"Hm... I don't think I will."

"But Tal..." This came from Ayame. "_I _want to know."

"Oh, well if it's _you._" She walked over to him and leaned forward to whisper something in the silver-haired man's ear. A moment later, she moved back.

"That is lovely, my dear! So unique."

Shigure's face dropped. "Tell me, too, Tal. Please? Please?"

Returning his earlier wink in an overdramatic way, Tal said, "You writers love a good mystery. Figure it out." With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

Shigure turned on Ayame. "What did she say?" he asked hurriedly.

Ayame smirked. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, love."

"What? Why?" he whined.

"Because if I tell you her name, you might leave me for her, and I simply can't have that." Patting Shigure on the head, he turned and followed Tal out.

"Ayame! Get back here! I know that's not why!"

-o-O-o-

"I shouldn't have brought you with me," mumbled a brooding Shigure.

Ayame laughed. "No, it is very good you brought me. Who better to be your supervision?"

Shigure pouted. "I don't need supervision," he grumbled.

"She was a very nice girl."

Shigure looked up, pout gone.

"And a lovely artist, as well."

Shigure nodded with a small smile.

"I'm not sure she knows what to think of you, though."

"What do you mean?" His brows pulled together in confusion.

"Let's face it, Shigure, few normal people follow random strangers to work and then show up a few days later with lunch. Even if they do team up to find a lost dog one day."

Shigure looked at the ground. Despite all of Ayame's flair and oddities, he could be insightful when he wanted to be. "I suppose you're right."

"Though I am rather disappointed we left before this Zorro got back. From what you said, he's the jealous type. I would have liked to see his reaction to you invading his territory."

Shigure feigned hurt. "I thought you loved me, Aya. Why would you want me to be visiously murdered?"

"Come now, he can't be that bad. What is he, a poodle? A scottie? Perhaps even a golden retriever?"

"The closest I can come to naming it is a bear."

Ayame blinked in surprise. "A bear?"

Shigure nodded. "She said it was a mutt, with speculation of St. Bernard heritage. But it looks like a giant, black huskey."

"Oh... Well, at least she's a dog person!" he cheered, hugging his friend. "She could have five cats."

Shigure laughed. "Don't even joke about that. One of those is enough trouble. Speaking of which... those two better not have broken my house..."

"Can I come with you?"

"I wish you could, but don't you have to get back to work?" _Not to mention that Yuki would kill me._

"Ah, yes. Woe is me!"

"But I could arrange for you to come over another time... if you tell me what Tal told you..."

"No," Ayame said casually, practically skipping to his shop.

"But Aya... Why?"

"I'm rather charmed with her. You'll have to figure it out on your own." And with a grin and a happy little wave, he shut his door behind him, signalling Shigure to be on his way.

-o-O-o-

Shigure returned home to an intact door, and a less than intact kitchen. He poked his head into the room and spoke calmly to the three teens who were cleaning. "I was going to ask what happened, but it seems you're taking care of your mess."

"Yah," Kyou snapped.

Yuki glared at him. "We'll be done shortly."

"So, what-" He paused and thought better of it. "Actually, I don't want to know." An idea formed itself when he caught sight of Tohru's embarrassed face. "Tohru... Can I speak to you for a moment?"

The two boys stopped in their clean-up to shift their glares to him.

"Um, sure." She leaned her broom against the wall and followed Shigure into his office. "Did I do something wrong?"

Shigure smiled reassuringly and shook his head. "Of course not. I just wanted to ask for your assistance in something."

"Oh? What is it?" Her eyes were wide and wondering.

"Just something to satisfy a little curiosity..."


	4. Failure

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket._

**Failure**

"Hi!"

Tal looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at the girl before her. "Hello, welcome to Dreamscape. Can I help you?"

"Um..." The girl seemed nervous, but she was wearing a grin, so maybe that was just normal. "... I was wondering if the artist was here? Could I speak to her?" She wrung her hands.

_No, definately nervous. _Tal placed a bookmark in her novel and set it to the side. "You already are, sweetie. What can I do for you?" She leaned forward in her chair, her smile growing wider.

"I... was just... um..." Suddenly, her words burst forth in a flood of sound. "I was just wondering what your name is!"

Tal sat back and looked at the girl curiously. This wasn't the sort of thing that happened every day. "It's Tal. Why do you ask?"

"I meant... what's your real name? Or, rather, what's your full name? I hate to ask, but I'm just... so curious..."

Tal couldn't help the suspicion that mixed into the confusion. Why would it matter so much? And to this high school kid, whom she had never seen before. "Look, you seem like a sweet kid, but I don't know you, and if we've met, I apologize, but I don't remember you. I'm sorry."

The girl looked like she was about to explode with nervous energy. She chuckled breathlessly. "That's ok! I'll just... go now." She turned, back stiff. That's when the artist saw the apologetic glance out the window.

Tal's eyes narrowed as she saw a flash of black hair. She stood and walked the girl to the door. "Is he paying you?"

"What? No!" The girl's hands flew to her mouth. "I mean, what are you talking about?"

Tal laughed and touched the girl's shoulder for a moment. "Tell him that he's going to have to do better than that. And tell him that I thought writers were more clever than that."

The girl gave an awkward laugh. "I'm sorry about that. I'm Tohru, by the way. Shigure's been so kind to me, and I owe him so much, I had to try."

Tal's first instict was to take this little speech as an act that Shigure had told Tohru to put on, but she closed her mouth. The girl was sincere. _It would seem there's more to him than he lets on._

"Could you tell him something else for me?"

Tohru grinned and nodded. "Of course!"

"Tell him I'm going to have to pay him back for lunch the other day."

"Alright. I better go. Your paintings are amazing, by the way! I love the one Shigure brought home." And with that, Tohru was gone.

_The one... Shigure... brought HOME? _

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I'm sorry, she caught me!" Tohru said when she met Shigure by the bench in a park nearby. "But she wants me to tell you some things."

Shigure looked over in dismal curiosity. "Oh? What did she say?" _You were so nervous, I don't see how she wouldn't have figured it out._

"She said you need to do better than this, and she thought writers were more clever, and that she owes you lunch!"

His face perked up slightly. "Oh?" The word now sounded more like a hopeful question than a dejected word that didn't even want to be voiced.

"Yep!"

"But no name?"

Tohru shook her head. "No name. Just Tal. I think it's cute!"

Shigure smirked just a bit. _And I think _she's _cute._

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The voice on the other side of the phone was annoyed and somewhat degrading. "All of her cards say 'Tal'?"

"Yes," whined the dog.

"And that's the name she gave Tohru, even before she knew you had put her up to it, which I don't approve of, by the way."

"Yes. And it's not like I had her rob someone, I just had her ask for a name!"

There was a sigh. "Has it crossed your mind that maybe she is only teasing you? That Tal _is _her real name, and she just wants to get revenge on you for invading her workspace?"

"But she told Aya."

"What a reliable witness." The voice dripped with sarcasm. "Ayame would go along with it just for the fun of it."

"You're wrong." As it often did, Shigure's voice went from playful to serious in a matter of seconds. "She wouldn't do this without something real to back it up."

"How do you know? You don't know her, Shigure. Don't forget that." The voice was less harsh, but more like he was talking a child out of believing in fairies. Unfortunately for him, Shigure had just met one, and he wasn't about to forget.

"Because I'm a novelist. That's why. And she's a painter. We're both artists, spirits brought together like two carrier pigeons, searching for the other until they are together."

"Don't romantisize things." He was stern. "You're getting carried away, and you know what will come of it. Let it go."

"But I can't! You need to help me!"

There was a long pause. "If anyone else shows up within the week, asking for a name, you won't have a chance."

"Does that mean you'll do it?"

"No."

The line disconnected and Shigure smiled. Hatori would like her when he met her. She had wit.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_Note 2: I hope you enjoyed. Constructive comments greatly appreciated!_


	5. Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.

A/N: Thank you to _Tsukasa-kun_ for being the first to review this story!

_Surprise_

When Hatori entered the open, calming space, he was surprised. There was an air of happiness in the gallery that he hadn't expected. The light was mostly natural and the artwork stood up to the reputation Shigure had given it. A tiny smile touched his passive face, but he wiped it out when he approached the young lady sitting in a computer chair, spinning from side to side in her boredom as she flipped through a book. With a feeling of dread, he realized the book was one of Shigure's- one of the more respectable ones. Could this be her? She seemed far younger than Shigure had led him to believe…

"Hello, can I help you?"

Hatori looked from the book to the girl's face. She was smiling up at him and had gently tossed the book aside.

"Hello. Am I speaking to the artist?" he asked, using his professional tone.

She looked surprised for a moment, but then she laughed lightly. "Nope. Tal's gone out. I just work here. Is there something I can do for you, or do you need to speak to her? She should be back in about ten minutes."

Hatori thought it over. He was already wasting enough of his free time by doing this. He was contemplating just telling the girl not to worry about it and leaving , but he was curious. "Thank you, I'll just wait."

"Alright! Feel free to look around. If you're out of sight, I'll let her know to you're checking things out."

Hatori nodded briefly, but before he turned, he asked, hesitantly, "Are you enjoying that book?"

The girl looked confused. "Wha- Oh! I'm not reading it. It's Tal's. Said she met the author and was curious." The girl laughed again. "I was just poking around because it's not her usual taste in reading."

"I see. So she's ahead."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I think I'll go look around." With those words, he did just that.

He didn't move when he heard the door open again and a happy voice saying, "I'm back! Anything happen while I was gone?"

"There's someone here to see you." Her voice lowered, but Hatori could still hear her- he was closer than she thought he was. "He's kind of intense- I hope you aren't in trouble with the law, Tal."

There was silense for a moment. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"No, just asked if he was speaking to the artist and then said he'd wait when I told him you'd gone out. Anyway, I sent him off to browse, so you should probably go find him unless you want me to cover for you while you escape out the back."

A snort. "That's hardly necessary."

He heard footsteps start and then stop beside him. "I hear you wished to speak to me?"

Hatori didn't look at her just yet. The style of the art he saw all around him seemed strangely familiar… "Yes. I had some questions."

"Well, shoot. I'm all ears."

Now he turned, and he saw her eyebrows twitch just slightly toward each other, as if she was trying to figure something out. "How long have you been painting?" he asked.

"Would you like to sit?"

Hatori blinked. "I suppose."

She led him to a corner near a window that was occupied by some low, fluffy chairs and offered him a seat. When they were settled, Hatori looking out of place in his suit sitting on something hardly more than a giant beanbag, Tal answered his question.

"I started quite a few years before high school, though it took many more years of constant work to actually get good enough to make it a profession."

He saw something dawn in her eyes, but he couldn't say what she had figured out. It bothered him that he had no idea what she had realized, especially due to the nature of his visit. He was almost a spy now, searching for information for Shigure. Not that he was sure he would share what he found out with the dog.

"Pardon my manners. I'm Hatori, and I am looking into some artwork for my employer. If he sees something he likes, he may want some custom work done."

"I see. Did you see anything you like?"

Was that a smirk she was trying to hide? Or was she just happy about maybe having some business? "Your work is very beautiful." He crossed his legs and set his hands on a knee, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. If he was a paranoid man, he would suspect that the woman had chosen these particular chairs for the very reason of making such a feat impossible.

"Thank you, Hatori. You always had very kind words for my art."

He blinked. "Pardon?"

The smirk she had been holding in became clear as day. "I didn't think you'd remember me. We went to high school together. Something about you seemed familiar, and the name made me realize what it was."

Now it came back to him. He was a great fool. Tal. She had always gone by that around her classmates, but the teachers always used her full name. He couldn't remember what it was, though. All he could remember was that it was very odd, as was she. But he had been in a club with her that he had joined to get away from them all, and the two had talked and become acquiantances during that time. It wasn't a tremendous friendship, but he had liked her for her strangeness. She was one of the few girls who seemed to have no desire to hug him. And she was smart and pretty- that was why he never told Shigure or Ayame about her. She had changed only a little. Her prettiness matured into loveliness, her oddness morphed into eccentricity, and her shyness developed into wit, but she still had the same twinkle in her eye and evident passion and creativity.

But if she remembered him, would she connect him to Shigure?

"Either way, it's good to see you again," she added.

Hatori nodded and smiled slightly. It didn't seem that she was suspicious. "I remember you now. I'm not surprised this is where you ended up. It would seem you accomplished your dream."

A light pink touched her cheeks. "You have a good memory. Yes, I suppose I have, for the most part."

"As happy an accident as this is, I'm afraid I have to get back to work, and my employer won't be happy if I don't get my job done."

"Oh, of course. What do you need, Hatori?"

"For now, I'd like to take any brochures or articles you may have with samples of your work. And of course I'll need your signature."

"Might I ask why? I've never had that request before since artists already sign their work."

"My employer is very picky about who he chooses to become involved with, no matter how remote the tie. I'm sure he has his plumber's background checked three times every time he calls on him. Your signature will be needed so he knows you are the real deal."

She still looked a bit doubtful, but she held her tongue. "I suppose it can't hurt unless you're trying to frame me for a crime by getting my signature on a confession disguised as some other form. You _aren't _trying to frame me, _are _you, Hatori?" She narrowed her eyes at him teasingly.

"What if I am? You can't stop me."

"Ooh, come see the Secret Agent Hatori show; tonight only!"

Hatori made a noise of amusement. "Costarring the artist on the run, Tal the Terrible."

Tal stood and pouted. "You always did make me the villain. Why can't I be your sidekick?"

"Because then we wouldn't have a show, we'd just have some bored heroes."

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Taliessa._

She had explained it once, but Hatori couldn't remember the details. The day had been full of surprises, and the biggest had been that he had actually known the woman before that day. He shook his head.

"Did you get it? Did you? Hm?"

Hatori sighed and stepped back from Shigure, who had practically jumped into his arms the moment he was in sight.

"Maybe." That was just to mess with him.

"Ha'ri! Don't be like that. Tell me!"

"Stop whining."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I have it here. On this paper. In her own handwriting." Hatori held the small sheet between his index and middle finger. The two men were at the low table, eating lunch.

"Well? Are you going to tell me what it is or am I going to have to pry it from your fingers? You don't have a _cru-_"

Shigure blinked in surprise at the riceball that had been stuffed in his mouth. Hatori looked pleased with himself. "Don't be an idiot." The doctor smirked. "If you want this, you should really be nice to me."

Shigure swallowed the rice and gasped, adopting an appalled expression. "Blackmail!" he exclaimed.

"You could call it that. We grew up together, Shigure. Surely you expected I would take my revenge someday."

Shigure pouted as his friend spoke in a dry voice laced with smugness. "I'm not sure whether to be proud or sad, Ha'ri. I have corrupted you."

"You've done no such thing; don't give yourself that much credit."

Shigure sighed. "You're so cruel," he said, throwing an arm up to cover his eyes.

"Not the first time you've told me that." Hatori smirked slightly.

A grin spread slowly across Shigure's face. "You know, Hatori, if you don't hand that paper over, I'm going to have to come take it."

Hatori held the slip away from Shigure (who was shifting into a position easier to get up from) and himself and said, "I don't think you want to do that."

"Why not?"

Just then there were two sharp raps on the door. Hatori's smirk grew. Shigure's attention was taken from the "dragon" to the hall leading to the door.

"Who could that be?"


End file.
